Cord milking prior to umbilical cord clamping vs immediate clamping

A single-center randomized trial compared the effects of immediate umbilical cord clamping after birth with clamping after active cord milking in infants 24 – 28 weeks gestation. In the latter group, around 20 cms of the cord was actively milked toward the umbilicus three times before clamping. Infants undergoing the milking had a statistically insignificant decrease in the primary outcome – need for transfusion. They also had higher hematocrits at birth and a lower frequency of intraventricular hemorrhage.